Portable electronic parking permit tag and a method for using therof

• US 9,064,358 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ofer Lidror
• Original Assignee: Ofer Lidror
• Inventors: Lidror, Ofer
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK-CHILDRESS, RAJSHEED O
• Application Number:
  US13/127,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20110210827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/30 Parking meters registering or indicating waiting time of vehicles by means driven by the vehicle G07C5/02; coin-freed parking meters G07F17/24

Abstract

A portable electronic parking permit tag for vehicles transporting disabled persons, which comprises (a) a memory module for storing data regarding the person(s) allowed to activate the tag, in which the stored data represents at least the personal biometric information of each of the person(s); (b) a biometric identification module for obtaining biometric data of the person trying to activate the tag; (c) a processing unit for operating the tag according to the obtained biometric data; (d) at least one display unit for indicating the status of the tag, whether activated or deactivated; (e) means for deactivating the tag; and (f) means for powering the tag.

Claims

1. A portable electronic parking permit tag for vehicles transporting disabled persons and for preventing forgery and abuse of use, comprising:

a) a casing placeable in a vehicle so that a universal disabled person symbol and parking authorization provided with said casing are visible from around the vehicle;

b) a memory module for storing data regarding the person or persons allowed to activate said tag including name and authorization number, in which all of said stored data is burned into said memory module to prevent forgery and includes biometric information of each of the said person or persons;

c) a biometric identification module for obtaining biometric data of the person trying to activate said tag;

d) at least one display unit for indicating the status of said tag, whether activated or deactivated;

e) a processing unit for comparing said obtained biometric data with said stored data and for triggering the tag status to an activated status if said obtained biometric data and said stored data match;

f) a movement detector for deactivating said tag upon sensing movement of said tag, after being activated, to prevent unlawful usage of said tag;

g) a short-range transmitter for periodically transmitting secured data related to the name and authorization number of the disabled person who activated said tag, wherein said short-range transmitted data is receivable in an unmediated way by a mobile communication device carried by a parking officer and is locally verifiable by said mobile communication device to provide parking authorization of said tag; and

h) a power source for powering said tag.

2. A tag according to claim 1, in which some or all of the data is coded.

3. A tag according to claim 1, in which the stored data in the memory module further includes personal details and parking permission for each person allowed to activate the tag.

4. A tag according to claim 1, in which the power source for powering said tag is an independent battery, a rechargeable battery, a plug through which power is received from an external power source, or any combination thereof.

5. A tag according to claim 4, in which the external power source is the battery of the vehicle.

6. A tag according to claim 1, in which the memory module is a flash memory.

7. A tag according to claim 1, in which the at least one display unit displays information regarding the person who activated said tag and the corresponding parking authorization.

8. A tag according to claim 7, in which the information is displayed electronically according to the data stored in the memory module.

9. A tag according to claim 1, in which the universal disabled person symbol is printed or scribed on a faceplate of said tag.

10. A tag according to claim 1, which is an RF identification tag.

23. A tag according to claim 1, wherein the at least one display unit comprises a plurality of light sources each of which is illuminated to a different color in accordance with the activation status of the tag.

24. A tag according to claim 1, wherein the movement detector is also operable to cause the tag to become deactivated upon sensing continuous movement of the vehicle for more than a predetermined period of time.

11. A parking permit method for preventing forging and abuse of a parking tag, comprising:

a) storing data regarding the person or persons allowed to activate said tag and that is independent of the vehicle identification, in a memory module embedded within said parking tag including name and authorization number, wherein all of said stored data is burned into said memory module to prevent forgery and includes biometric information of each of said person or persons;

said tag is placeable in the vehicle so that a universal disabled person symbol and parking authorization provided on said to are visible from around the vehicle;

b) obtaining biometric data of the person trying to activate said tag via a biometric identification module in said parking tag;

c) comparing said obtained biometric data with said stored data;

d) triggering a tag status to an activated status in said parking tag if said obtained biometric data and said stored data match, wherein said tag is operated via a power source;

e) periodically transmitting by said parking tag secured short-range data related to the name and authorization number of the person or persons allowed to activate said tag;

f) displaying the status of said tag, whether activated or deactivated;

g) receiving in an unmediated way said short-range transmitted data by a mobile communication device of a parking officer and locally verifying parking authorization of said tag;

and

h) deactivating said tag upon sensing movement of said tag after being activated indicative of completion of a parking session, to prevent unlawful usage of said tag.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the stored data in the memory module further includes personal details and parking permission for each person allowed to activate said tag.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the tag is deactivated by a movement detector.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the power source is an independent battery, rechargeable battery, a plug through which power is received from an external power source, or any combination thereof.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the external power source is a battery of the vehicle.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the memory module is a flash memory.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying information regarding the person who activated said tag and the corresponding parking authorization.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the information is displayed electronically according to the data stored in the memory module.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the information is printed or scribed on a faceplate of said tag.

20. A method according to claim 11, further comprising allowing communicating via an RF identification tag.

25. A method according to claim 11, wherein the tag is also deactivated upon sensing continuous movement of the vehicle for more than a predetermined period of time.

21. A system for verifying authorization to park a vehicle at a space designated for disabled persons, comprising:

a) a portable electronic parking permit tag for the vehicle transporting disabled persons and for preventing forgery and abuse of use, comprising;

i) a casing placeable in the vehicle so that a universal disabled person symbol and a parking authorization provided with said casing are visible from around the vehicle;

ii) a memory module for storing data regarding the person or persons allowed to activate said tag including name and authorization number, in which all of said stored data is burned into said memory module to prevent forgery and includes personal biometric information of each of said person or persons;

iii) a biometric identification module for obtaining biometric data of the person trying to activate said tag;

iv) at least one display unit for indicating the status of said tag, whether activated or deactivated;

v) a processing unit for comparing said obtained biometric data with said stored data and for triggering the tag status to an activated status if said obtained biometric data and said stored data match;

vi) a movement detector for deactivating said tag upon sensing movement of said tag, after being activated, to prevent unlawful usage of said tag;

vii) a short-range transmitter for periodically transmitting secured data related to the name and authorization number of the disabled person who activated said tag; and

viii) a power source for powering said tag; and

b) a mobile communication device carried by a parking officer, said mobile communication device being configured to verify parking authorization of said tag and comprising a memory device in which is stored a local database of parking authorized disable people, wherein said short-range transmitted data is receivable and locally verifiable in an unmediated way by said mobile communication device.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the at least one display unit comprises a plurality of light sources each of which is illuminated to a different color in accordance with the activation status of the tag.